Post-Reading

      The Disappearing Spoon changed my views on the daily lives of scientists and their work. They are vital to our understanding of everything. They are constantly working to break new ground and reach tantalizing findings. They look forward in time, backwards in time, and, most importantly, do their best to explain the present. Even sciences that don't receive much appreciation could come out with the next big thing. Bubbles were not taken seriously, but ended up helping scientists estimate the age of the planet. At any moment, any scientist could make a revolutionary discovery. Chemists, specifically, are exceptionally vital to the day-to-day life of everybody on the planet. They improve upon toothpaste, sources of nutrition (food or drink), what we use to sanitize ourselves, what we use to amplify our human beauty (perfumes, colognes, makeup, hair dyes, lotion), and what material are the pipes that provide our running water. The life of a scientist is tedious and sometimes not very rewarding, but the glimmer of hope it offers, the hope that we can find something beyond what we have discovered, can drive a person to dedicate themselves to a project for years. All in all, yes, my ideas on the life of scientists have most definitely changed.
      Kean certainly does employ various comparisons and metaphors when talking about the periodic table. The most memorable was that of a castle wall. I liked the way he explained that every brick on the wall is vital to the whole. If the wall was missing a brick, it would collapse. This metaphor emphasized the reasoning behind the placement of each element on the table, which I found easy to understand. I liked the way he used that metaphor to also explain that different parts of the periodic table are inhabited by different types of "bricks," or elements. One connection that was very new to me was the view of the periodic table as a sort of map. I found this to be most effective in the final chapter because I could visualize an ocean of instability and the area in which the "island of stability" may lie. Only a bit relevant, I also enjoyed when Kean explained why seeing atoms as small solar systems was inaccurate. I had always viewed them as such, so this was quite a surprise to me. His clarification did help me see why a electron shells, though similar, are very different from planetary orbits.
     As for my favorite element, I have many. I definitely have to put argon among my list of favorites because it is a noble gas and its name is derived from a Greek word for "lazy," which I find admirable. On top of that, it was the first noble gas discovered. Another one I also like is radon. Radon is great because it is basically undetectable by the human senses. Furthermore, it's radioactive and reminds me of the name of a radioactive Japanese pterodactyl monster. Platinum and titanium are definitely on my list purely because their names just sound so powerful and regal. Tin is most definitely close to being my ultimate favorite. Why might this be so? Well, any element that manages to be the most common metal in Earth's crust and the most valuable metal at the same time is inspiring. It truly teaches us a lesson about ourselves and humanity. No matter how horrible you may be, you can always make yourself seem more valuable than you really are by making it difficult for people to get what they want from you. If I was an element, I'd be tin. Why? I would be tin because it wasn't very special for very long. However, I also protect people from aliens, hypnosis, and the like. This book taught me a lot I didn't know, especially about the elements, and I want to learn more about all of it.